A rustic, European-chic Italian restaurant located on the ground floor of the Bowery Hotel, Gemma is just that – a gem of a place with delicious cocktails and consistently good food and service. While the charming, dimly-lit interior and its stylish bar create a scenic atmosphere reminiscent of old-school New York, Gemma is best enjoyed in the summer months, when sidewalk dining is at its peak.

Recommended Dish: Protein Breakfast with a side of fries and a Red Screwdriver

Jack’s Wife Freda is a simple and quaint no-frills establishment with locations on both Carmine and Lafayette streets. One of the trendiest brunch places in Soho for tourists and locals alike, it’s wildly popular among your typical twenty-something post-yoga millennials and moms-with-strollers, because #Soho. Once you’re tucking in to those deliciously green baked eggs, rosewater waffles, and watermelon mimosas, you’ll forget all about the crowd and the long lines – after you take your Insta-worthy picture, of course.

Recommended Dish: Breakfast Bowl with poached eggs and a side of Grilled Haloumi

Located in a surprisingly quiet corner of Hell’s Kitchen, Blue Dog Kitchen’s versatile menu is its greatest selling point – it has something for everybody. Feeling something savory? Try one of their grilled cheeses or quesadillas. Have a killer sweet tooth? Satisfy it with their chocolate chip pancakes or dulce de leche waffles. Trying to stay relatively healthy? Create a tailored omelet or choose from one of their many fresh salads. A stickler for brunch classics? Their selection of benedicts has you covered. Wash it down with one of their unique cocktails (I’d go for a Pumpkin Martini or Pomegranate Dark and Stormy) and it’s smooth sailing into the rest of the weekend.

Recommended Dish: Pumpkin Stuffed Toast with a Pomegranate Dark and Stormy

If you’re feeling adventurous, take the N/W line out to the last stop in Queens to check out The Bonnie. Run by the same owners of Lower East Side staple The Wren, The Bonnie is located in a quaint and charming section of Astoria filled with coffee shops, redbrick houses, local Greek bakeries, and ample people watching. If the weather is nice, it’s lovely to sit outside – but cozy enough to hunker down in in colder weather. Using locally-sourced ingredients, The Bonnie’s menu changes seasonally, though they do have some famous staples – like their smashed avocado toast, Breakfast Burger, and Fried Chicken and Waffle – that stay in the rotation. Don’t forget to try out their cocktails – The Bonnie turns into a late-night bar that stays open until 4am, and the bartenders know how to make their drinks pack a punch!

Recommended Dish: Steak & Eggs and the Short Stack Cocktail

High energy and trendy while still keeping it understated and not over-hyped, Jane is exactly the kind of place you take a group of friends when you want to be surrounded by people without feeling crowded. Jane is open and bright, serving classic American fare and brunch staples. Don’t let the roomy interior fool you though – you will definitely want to make a reservation to avoid waiting in lines up to an hour long. The best part of Jane? You can choose one of four cocktails that come complimentary with your breakfast – among which is a killer Bloody Mary (seriously – it’s called “The Best Bloody Mary” for a reason).

Recommended Dish: Classic Eggs Benedict and The Best Bloody Mary